


Wanna Be Like You

by grandmelon



Category: Free!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Childhood Friends, Childhood Memories, Established Relationship, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, M/M, Reunions, little Makoto and little Rin being jealous of each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-21
Updated: 2016-10-21
Packaged: 2018-08-23 20:26:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8341525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grandmelon/pseuds/grandmelon
Summary: When they were little, they wanted nothing more to be like someone else. It seems a little foolish when they look back on it.





	

**Author's Note:**

> WELL~! It's a short little fic about Makoto and Rin's friendship when they were little. I wanted to write a fic in celebration of my 2 year anniversary for writing for free! so here it is! Thank you everyone for reading my works, I love writing for this fandom and I can't believe it's already been two years since I started!!! I look forward to writing more, as the fire is still strong in me!

“Rin!?”

 

Makoto rushed forward, surprised to see his new friend crying by himself. Rin’s head snapped back at him, shock and mortification passing through his face as an angry fist wiped at his tears. Makoto pulled out his handkerchief and handed it to Rin, a sense of relief hitting him when the other took it to wipe his face.

 

“What happened!? Are you alright?” Makoto asked, hands uselessly hovering in the air around him, unsure of what to do. “Did something happen?”

 

“I’m fine—what are you doing here? You don’t walk home this way,” Rin said, though his voice was shaky. “Is it because Nanase isn’t here?”

 

“Huh? Oh, yeah, Haru got picked up by his mom so,” Makoto mumbled, turning away. It was too embarrassing to admit he was nervous about walking next to the ocean without him there. Even with a beach in between it was still scary.

 

“Must be hard without your other half,” Rin teased, though his smirk wobbled and his sniffles were hard to ignore. “Sorry about this, I’ll get it back to you right away.”

 

“Oh don’t worry! I always have two anyways,” Makoto said, shaking his head. “So, are you really okay? What happened?”

 

Rin shrugged, a woeful sigh leaving his lips as he started to walk. Makoto followed him up to some stairs where he sat down. Makoto took a seat next to him, unsure of what to say or do. He just watched his friend tuck his hair behind his ear and stare down at his hands. It was silent, but not as uncomfortable as Makoto would have imagined. Being alone with Rin was new, he never saw the other without Haru by his side, but it wasn’t awkward. Only the anxiety of not knowing how to comfort someone who had been hurt was churning his stomach.

 

“You don’t have to worry about it, just some idiots from school were saying stuff about me,” Rin said with a shrug. “It’s nothing new, I guess I just forgot about it since everyone at my old school got over it.”

 

“Huh!? Bullying!? What did they say to you Rin? Should we tell a teacher—why are you smiling like that?” Makoto squeaked, feeling like somehow he said something foolish. Rin just smiled at him more before shaking his head.

 

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it. It’s not like they did anything, they were just calling me names. My friend back at Sano always told me to ignore them, and it was easy to there since I had friends, but it’s different here so it’s harder to ignore.”

 

“You have friends! Me and Haru-chan are your friends, and Nagisa too,” Makoto insisted, shaking his head in earnest. “You haven’t been with us long, but I know everyone feels the same!”

 

“Thanks,” Rin said laughing as he rubbed the back of his neck.

 

“So—so what happened?” Makoto asked, biting his lip. Rin looked at him for a second, and Makoto’s eyes widened as he felt an unbelievable weight in Rin’s gaze. As if he was trying to figure something out, but just as quickly as it appeared it was gone. Rin shrugged again and dropped his hand into his lap.

 

“Nothing, just calling me short, a girl, that kind of stuff. They always do that because of how I look and my name, it’s so annoying,” Rin groaned, grimacing as he leaned back onto the stairs. Makoto looked back at him, watching his hand bat at the air as if he was shooing something away. “They always go on and on about it. And it’s not like I’m actually that small, right? I mean so what if I’m not as tall as some of the other kids! I’ll hit my growth spurt and that’ll be that!”  

 

“I see,” Makoto said, mulling over his friend’s words. Rin sat up again, leaning on his knees. “That’s a shame, I like the way Rin looks.”

 

“Hah?” Rin sneered, clear in his change of attitude that he had thought it was a joke. Makoto just smiled at him and tilted his head to the side, nervous about how Rin would react to such things.

 

“It’s just, you’re really pretty! And being smaller is nice—I wish I looked more like you and Haru instead. I used to be smaller than Haru, it wasn’t for a very long time though,” he continued, sighing as he grieved his own genetics.

 

“Don’t say that!” Rin roared, gripping at his own hair. “Are you crazy! I’d kill to be as tall as you are! If I looked like you then no one would mess with me—and my friend would think I’m cool! He’s always telling me don’t mind it but he just says that because he doesn’t get it!”

 

Rin grumbled about how unfair it is and kicked at the ground with his foot, crossing his arms. “He used to be okay with us playing rough, but now he doesn’t ever want to! And he’s always getting things for me like I can’t reach them or something—like I’m incapable of even moving my arm! And the other day he pulled me onto the other side of him as if I’m too small for cars to see—who does he think he is!? He’s been acting like I’m a baby or something. It’s so annoying! I don’t need special treatment just because I’m a bit shorter! And I’m not even that short!”

 

“Huh? But doesn’t that just sound like he’s doing that because he treasures you?” Makoto asked, face contorted in confusion as he thought about the things he said. They didn’t seem out of the ordinary to him, after all there was lots of times he and Haru would do those kind of things for each other, and they did not play rough. Rin started to choke on air, his face going red and stuttering as he slapped Makoto’s shoulder.

 

“That’s so embarrassing! There’s no way—anyways,” Rin said, coughing into his hand and looking incredibly uncomfortable. “You’ve got it good Makoto, all the adults call you handsome and all the girls like you, and none of the boys really bother you besides the Nanase thing.”

 

“The girls don’t like me,” Makoto insisted, shaking his head. “I think a lot of them like you! Your personality is really manly, and you’re brave and admit to things that bother you. Those things about you are really cool! And on top of that you’re really pretty, and you’re the right size. If I was like that I’d suit Haru-chan more.”

 

“What?” Rin blurted out. “Nanase?”

 

“If I was like that Haru wouldn’t mind me so much. But I’m bulky and clumsy, and I hide behind him even though I’m tall now. I’d rather be small and graceful like you and Haru-chan,” Makoto sighed. “Then Haru wouldn’t think I’m annoying.”

 

“I’m sure he doesn’t think you’re annoying,” Rin insisted.

 

“But I’m not cute at all, so acting cute doesn’t suit me,” he said. “And that’s annoying.”

 

“Who told you that?” Rin asked, furrowing his brows.

 

“No one,” Makoto sighed. “But it’s obvious, and sometimes I hear girls talking about that. If you aren’t cute and you’re clingy it’s annoying, that’s why if I looked like Rin then it wouldn’t be a problem.”

 

“Uh, thanks?” Rin said, scratching the back of his head. “I guess.”

 

“I should probably get home now,” Makoto mused, looking up at the sun. He stood up and Rin followed, dusting off their clothes. “My mom will start wondering where I am. I hope I helped?”

 

“Yeah,” Rin said, body stiff and hesitating before he rushed forward and pulled Makoto into a hug. Makoto squeaked, cheeks going red as he was squeezed tight by the other before Rin let go and stepped back. “Thanks—what’s with that look!?”

 

“Uh,” Makoto stuttered, scratching his cheek and offering him a smile. “Nothing, I was just surprised. I’ve never had a friend hug me like that before.”

 

“What?” Rin choked. “What about Nanase? Aren’t you attached at the hip!?”

 

“But Haru’s different—he doesn’t really like that kind of stuff, I think,” Makoto mumbled, playing with his backpack straps. “Um, I hope you feel better Rin. I’ll see you at school tomorrow.”

 

“Y—yeah,” Rin said frowning though his face was cherry red. “Jeez, you and Nanase are weird. Now you got me all embarrassed!”

 

Makoto giggled, a little embarrassed himself but mostly amused by Rin’s reaction. “It’s fine, Rin. Thanks!”

 

“What are you thanking me for!?” Rin groaned before storming off. “Don’t you and Nanase forget about tomorrow’s practice!”

 

“We won’t!”

 

~~~xx~~~

 

“He’s always been like that. I remember Makoto spouting all kinds of nonsense about wanting to be ‘small’ and ‘pretty’ like me when we were young. It was nauseating,” Rin laughed, shaking his head. “Especially when I realized part of it was because he wanted to look cute for Haru.”   

 

“Ah! Rin! Why are you bringing that up now?” Makoto whined, glancing at Haru beside him. Their little impromptu reunion was nothing but chaos since they met, though still fun. But Makoto found it embarrassing talking the past, especially involving his feelings towards Haru. “I just thought I didn’t suit Haru very well, and Haru and Rin always looked so nice and didn’t stumble or bang their arms on things!”

 

“Makoto is cute,” Haru said, the unspoken but heavy pressure from his thoughts on Makoto wanting to be like Rin clear in his eyes. Makoto sighed fondly, scratching his cheek, finding a little comfort in the way Haru’s arm entertained his space, flush against his own. He didn’t mean to make Haru upset by that.

 

“It was just kids’ talk, okay Haru? It’s not like I really wanted to be Rin, I just wanted to be like him at the time! I remember Rin saying similar,” he continued, looking back at his friend. Rin snorted, shaking his head.

 

“Who didn’t want to be tall? I thought if I was as tall as Makoto Sousuke would stop treating me like an invalid. Wasn’t till later that I realized he was just being a sappy romantic,” Rin sneered, though he let out a rather large and amused grin when he looked at Sousuke. Sousuke rolled his eyes, already used to the never ending teasing about how young he was when he fell for his best friend.

 

“Whatever, you’re fine as you are. You’re not even that short, I don’t know why you thought you were,” Sousuke grumbled, grabbing another fry off the plate in front of him. “Besides a family restaurant is hardly the place to talk about these kinds of things.”

 

“No one is here,” Rin said, elbowing him. “And we’re not talking about anything crazy anyways. I was just saying that Makoto has always had this obsession with being smaller. I remember once he tried to comfort me because of some bullies calling me girly, and short, and stuff like that, but I was only getting irritated because Makoto was just agreeing with them in the end.”

 

Rin shook his head, though there was laughter in his eyes. “How it hurt to hear someone like Makoto call me pretty, I thought I might as well give up then and there.”

 

“I didn’t mean it like that, Rin!” Makoto argued, a whine in his voice as he remembered it. “I was just saying it was a shame! And that you shouldn’t be bothered by that. And I thought I helped you feel better! Did it really hurt your feelings?”

 

“I’m joking, Makoto,” Rin said, relaxing into the booth and against Sousuke. “I knew you were being genuine. I said thanks didn’t I?”

 

“Ah, you’re right you did,” Makoto said, settling down as he thought about it. He smiled at the memory, recalling the days they wished to exchange circumstances. “I remember you giving me a hug too, Rin. It was cute.”

 

“Why do you remember that?” Rin groaned. Makoto was wondering if he shouldn’t have said anything, and as if on cue Sousuke sat up, a smirk on his lips.

 

“He’d always hug people like that when we were kids,” Sousuke said, laughter in his voice as Rin elbowed him. “He’d wrap both arms around you like you were family or something. Imagine the shock when I came to Samezuka and only received one-armed hugs, it was such a change. I remember wondering where the shameless Rin I knew and loved went,” Sousuke sighed, shaking his head as if he was lamenting the death of something. Rin slapped his arm.

 

“I wasn’t shameless! Besides, didn’t Nagisa ever hug you guys? Why was I considered the only weird one?” Rin barked, crossing his arms.

 

“Nagisa would throw his arms around our necks when we were kids, but they weren’t like real hugs,” Makoto said shaking his head. “Rin’s hug was very, um, thorough back then,” he laughed.

 

“When he was moving away he gave me a hug I swore lasted an hour,” Sousuke said, agreeing with him.

 

“Can we forget about the hugging thing. And what’s with that?” Rin asked, glaring at Sousuke. “You talk as if you hated it.”

 

“I didn’t,” Sousuke said with a shrug, sitting back and draping his arm around Rin’s neck. “I just thought it was cute.”

 

“Yeah, yeah. Anyways,” Rin said, getting back onto the original topic. “I remember once or twice we joked about switching bodies.”

 

“Don’t,” Sousuke and Haru said in unison, grimacing at the way they sounded. Rin started to laugh at their immaturity.

 

“It’s not like we could!”

 

“I remember thinking it’d solve all our problems,” Makoto giggled as he felt Haru’s hand grab his under the table. “But I guess it worked out in the end.”

 

“I guess, I mean we’d be different people all together if that happened,” Rin said, watching Sousuke’s reaction. “And these two wouldn’t be happy about that, huh?”

 

“Doesn’t seem like it,” Makoto chuckled, smiling back at Haru.

 

“How is Australia?” Haru asked, ignoring their conversation in favor of changing the subject.

 

Rin went off on a tirade, Sousuke adding whatever he saw fit to add as Rin gave an in-depth update on their life in Australia. Makoto answered any questions about Tokyo and Haru’s career, Haru remaining mostly silent except for a few quips here and there, causing outbursts of laughter or shock in their wake. All smiles and fun, sitting beside his friends Makoto thought maybe they were wrong to want to look or be like anyone else. After all, it didn’t seem like the people who mattered most minded.

**Author's Note:**

> I wanna be like you~, I wanna walk like you, talk like you, too~
> 
> [my tumblr](http://melonmachinery.tumblr.com)


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